Best Universities for Zoology in the UK 2027
Swansea University tops our 2027 zoology ranking with 132 points, achieving 100% academic support and 92% teaching quality. University of Plymouth comes second with 119 points and achieves 100% teaching quality. Royal Holloway, University of London is third with 114 points and also achieves 100% teaching quality. We ranked 37 UK universities offering zoology degrees across eight metrics: graduate earnings, teaching quality, student satisfaction, academic support, safety, cost of living, social life and sustainability.
University of St Andrews (4th), University of Edinburgh (joint 15th) and Queen Mary University of London (joint 16th) all produce £30,000 — the highest zoology graduate earnings in this ranking. University of the West of Scotland (joint 19th) achieves 100% on both academic support and teaching quality from 19th position. University of Roehampton (25th, last) has the lowest academic support at 73% and lowest teaching quality at 73%. Newcastle University (joint 19th) achieves 68% academic support — the second-lowest in the field.
For how these universities compare across all subjects, see the Unifresher best universities overall ranking and our best universities for employability.
Zoology University Rankings 2027
| # | University | Grad Earnings | Satisfaction | Teaching Quality | Academic Support | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Swansea University Swansea |
£22,500 | 79% | 92% | 100% | 132 |
| 2 | University of Plymouth Plymouth |
£24,000 | 75% | 100% | 97% | 119 |
| 3 | Royal Holloway, University of London Egham |
£26,000 | 74% | 100% | 96% | 114 |
| 4 | University of St Andrews St Andrews |
£30,000 | 84% | 96% | 95% | 112 |
| 5 | University of Lincoln Lincoln |
£21,500 | 78% | 87% | 93% | 110 |
| 5 | Nottingham Trent University Nottingham |
£27,000 | 76% | 89% | 100% | 110 |
| 6 | University of Bristol Bristol |
£25,000 | 73% | 96% | 90% | 109 |
| 7 | University of Exeter Exeter |
£25,000 | 79% | 85% | 81% | 108 |
| 7 | University of Worcester Worcester |
£25,000 | 79% | 90% | 77% | 108 |
| 8 | Bangor University Bangor |
£23,000 | 76% | 81% | 89% | 106 |
| 9 | University of Reading Reading |
£23,500 | 74% | 91% | 93% | 103 |
| 10 | Liverpool John Moores University Liverpool |
£24,000 | 72% | 89% | 93% | 102 |
| 10 | University of Sheffield Sheffield |
£24,500 | 75% | 93% | 100% | 102 |
| 11 | University of Liverpool Liverpool |
£28,000 | 71% | 88% | 92% | 100 |
| 11 | University of Gloucestershire Cheltenham / Gloucester |
£24,000 | 76% | 97% | 87% | 100 |
| 12 | Oxford Brookes University Oxford |
£25,000 | 74% | 85% | 97% | 97 |
| 12 | Manchester Metropolitan University Manchester |
£24,000 | 73% | 87% | 90% | 97 |
| 13 | Anglia Ruskin University Cambridge |
£24,000 | 70% | 94% | 91% | 93 |
| 14 | University of Salford Salford |
£23,500 | 73% | 85% | 95% | 92 |
| 14 | University of Aberdeen Aberdeen |
£24,500 | 76% | 94% | 91% | 92 |
| 15 | University of Edinburgh Edinburgh |
£30,000 | 74% | 87% | 84% | 90 |
| 15 | University of Manchester Manchester |
£26,000 | 70% | 88% | 91% | 90 |
| 16 | University of Leeds Leeds |
£25,000 | 74% | 86% | 78% | 84 |
| 16 | Queen Mary University of London London |
£30,000 | 69% | 93% | 95% | 84 |
| 17 | University of Cumbria Carlisle |
£24,000 | 77% | 88% | 82% | 82 |
| 18 | University of Nottingham Nottingham |
£26,500 | 74% | 82% | 95% | 81 |
| 19 | Newcastle University Newcastle upon Tyne |
£25,000 | 75% | 77% | 68% | 80 |
| 19 | University of Leicester Leicester |
£25,000 | 73% | 86% | 92% | 80 |
| 19 | University of Derby Derby |
£22,000 | 74% | 96% | 79% | 80 |
| 19 | University of the West of Scotland Glasgow |
£22,500 | 73% | 100% | 100% | 80 |
| 20 | University of Glasgow Glasgow |
£24,500 | 75% | 88% | 88% | 78 |
| 21 | University of Sussex Brighton and Hove |
£25,000 | 77% | 75% | 85% | 72 |
| 21 | University of Southampton Southampton |
£27,000 | 76% | 83% | 85% | 72 |
| 22 | Harper Adams University Newport, Shropshire |
£24,500 | 88% | 83% | 87% | 69 |
| 23 | University of Chester Chester |
£22,000 | 78% | 76% | 77% | 67 |
| 24 | University of Hull Hull |
£21,000 | 76% | 93% | 92% | 66 |
| 25 | University of Roehampton London |
£20,500 | 72% | 73% | 73% | 24 |
What the ranking tells you about studying zoology
Zoology covers the scientific study of animals — including animal behaviour, ecology, evolutionary biology, physiology, taxonomy, conservation, marine biology and field research methods. It is one of the most field-based life sciences degrees and varies significantly between programmes in the balance of laboratory work, fieldwork opportunities, overseas placements and conservation research partnerships. With 37 universities in this ranking, the quality of species access, field course locations and research group specialisms differs enormously.
University of the West of Scotland at joint 19th: 100% on both metrics
University of the West of Scotland ranks joint 19th with 80 points and achieves 100% on both teaching quality and academic support — the strongest course delivery double in this 37-university field. UWS ranks joint 19th because of low sustainability, safety and earnings scores. Its course delivery data is the most remarkable in this ranking given its overall position. Swansea (1st) achieves 100% academic support and 92% teaching quality. Plymouth (2nd) achieves 100% teaching quality and 97% academic support. Royal Holloway (3rd) also achieves 100% teaching quality. University of Sheffield (joint 10th) and Nottingham Trent (joint 5th) also achieve 100% academic support. For students comparing on course delivery specifically, UWS’s 100%/100% from 19th is the most significant gap between position and course delivery quality in this field.
Newcastle University at joint 19th: 68% academic support
Newcastle University ranks joint 19th with 80 points and achieves 68% academic support — the lowest in this 37-university field. The next-lowest are University of Roehampton at 73% and University of Worcester at 77%. Newcastle ranks joint 19th because of reasonable sustainability and social life scores alongside £25,000 earnings. Its 77% teaching quality is also in the lower tier of the field. For students drawn to Newcastle by reputation, the course delivery scores in this specific zoology programme are significantly below the field average and below Newcastle’s own performance in other subjects in this ranking.
University of St Andrews (4th) achieves the joint-highest earnings at £30,000 alongside 95% academic support and 96% teaching quality from a strong 4th-place position. University of Edinburgh (joint 15th) and Queen Mary University of London (joint 16th) also produce £30,000 but from lower overall positions. QMUL (joint 16th) achieves 95% academic support and 93% teaching quality alongside the premium earnings. For students wanting the combination of the highest earnings and strong course delivery in zoology, St Andrews provides the most favourable single data profile in this field.
For a broader view of how these universities compare, see the Unifresher overall best universities ranking.
